Florida Panthers Begin Training Camp With Renewed Energy

Very few teams in sports are able to maintain a championship level of play for multiple seasons. Dynasties are rare and most views from the mountain top are short lived. After three consecutive trips to the Stanley Cup Finals and back-to-back championships, the Panthers missed the playoffs lasfor the first time since the 2018-19 season.

Perhaps the respite from playing an average of 104 combined regular season and playoff games over the three seasons prior was exactly what the Panthers needed.

Paul Maurice: “I think the worst thing that could have happened to our team was if we squeak into the playoffs.”

Says missing the playoffs made them reshape the team and refocus.

“We worked our asses off.”

“We did what we could do (last season) but we failed.”
— Five Reasons Sports 🏀🏈⚾️🏒⚽️ (@5ReasonsSports) September 16, 2026

The energy from the Florida Panthers as they entered training camp Thursday was upbeat, no doubt infused by the return of captain Aleksander Barkov who missed all of last season. An extended offseason now segues into a shortened training camp and just four preseason games before the Panthers open at Carolina on September 29th.

Training camp opened Thursday and offered an early glimpse into what the Panthers top forward lines might look like when the games count.

Maurice on today's lines: "If we had to drop the puck tonight, those would be the three lines we'd start with."

Combos I saw were:

B. Tkachuk - Barkov - Reinhart
Verhaeghe - Bennett - M. Tkachuk
Luostarinen - Lundell - Vilmanis
— Jameson Olive (@JamesonCoop) September 17, 2026

Brady Tkachuk was the marquee addition to the Panthers during the offseason, a bruising power forward that can keep the puck or simply cause havoc in front of the net. Placing him with the possession and passing of Barkov, along with a sniper in Sam Reinhart gives the Panthers first line a dangerous mix for opponents.

Paul Maurice said we could see Brady Tkachuk start the season on a line with Sasha Barkov and Sam Reinhart. He feels Barkov skating with Brady could help Florida's captain get more from his game while taking some off his plate.

Story @TheHockeyNews ⬇️ https://t.co/m1onxpr8UU
— David Dwork (@DavidDwork) September 17, 2026

Paul Maurice offered an insight into why he did not put the Tkachuk brothers on the same line in the interest of public safety.

“And I don’t want to give everybody what they want with the 2 Chucky brothers together with Sam Bennett in the middle. They’ll be in jail before the puck drops.”

Paul Maurice is sparing the world from the CHAOS of a Tkachuk-Bennett-Tkachuk line. 😂 pic.twitter.com/VgZbqghs68
— Spittin' Chiclets (@spittinchiclets) September 17, 2026

All joking aside, the ability for Maurice to have two dynamic top forward lines with complimentary skill sets gives him a lot of options on any given night. With a second line of Carter Verhaeghe, Sam Bennett, and Matthew Tkachuk, the Panthers have little drop off and a lot of familiarity.

The combination of Verhaeghe, Bennett, and Matthew Tkachuk has shared the ice a ton over the last three seasons, while the third line for Florida could be a group to watch as Brad Marchand will miss some time to start the season.

Per #FlaPanthers HC Paul Maurice, Brad Marchand “will take the month of October to rehab…Assuming no setbacks.”
— Katie Engleson (@KatieEngleson) September 17, 2026

The inury to Marchand could open an opportunity early in the season for 22-year old Sandis Vilmanis to impress. Vilmanis appeared in 19 games as a rookie last season, and showed promised with limited opportunities. Being grouped with solid veterans Anton Lundell and Eetu Luostarinen would put the young winger in a position to develop and gain experience with more ice time.

Vibes are rightfully immaculate in Sunrise for the Panthers as the season approaches. A championship core has strengthened with the addition of Brady Tkachuk, and the team as a whole seems physically and mentally prepared for the season to start.

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